REMARKS 


In  the  year  1785 — eighty  four  years  ago — only  two  years 
after  the  evacuation  of  this  city  by  the  British,  we  have  evi- 
dence in  our  possession  of  the  existence  of  our  Society.  In 
1702  the  original  charter  was  obtained  from  the  legislature. 
It  expired  by  its  own  limitation  in  1811,  and  was  then  re- 
newed to  1833.  Up  to  that  period,  the  objects  of  the  Society 
were  entirely  benevolent,  being  for  the  relief  of  members  in 
sickness,  and  of  their  widows  and  orphans.  It  appears  from 
the  records  that  the  means  for  these  purposes  were  sufficient- 
ly provided  and  applied.  In  1S21  the  charter  was  amended 
to  allow  of  the  establishment  of  a  school  for  the  education  of 
children  of  poor  or  deceased  members,  and  a  library  for  the 
use  of  apprentices.  In  1S33  the  charter  was  renewed  and 
amended  so  as  to  provide,  that  one-third  of  all  moneys  re- 
ceived for  initiation  fees  should  be  kept  in  a  distinct  and 
exclusive  fund,  for  the  purpose  of  disseminating  literary  and 
scientific  knowledge  ;  also,  that  all  bequests  or  donations  for 
this  purpose  should  be  kept  sacred  for  it. 

In  1842  the  charter  was  again  amended,  to  allow  its  then 
school  to  be  a  pay  school  for  those  who  could  afford  to  pay, 
and  to  allow  of  the  establishment  of  a  separate  fund  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  Apprentices'  Library  and  reading  rooms.  In  1S5G 
the  charter  was  again  amended  and  extended  to  the  year 
1890.  This  act  allows  the  Society  to  hold  real  and  personal 
estate,  not  exceeding  in  value,  at  any  one  time,  the  sum  of 
$500,000.  Previously  wre  had  the  right  to  hold  only  to 
the  value  of  $200,000  of  such  property.    I  would  here  re- 


4 

commend  that  as  our  property  now  probably  exceeds  $500,000 
in  value,  an  application  be  made  to  the  legislature,  this  winter, 
to  extend  our  right  to  hold  property  to  such  an  amount  as 
the  Society  may  see  fit  to  ask.  In  1860  the  charter  was 
again  amended  so  as  to  confirm  our  titles  to  our  real  estate. 

Having  thus  briefly  stated  our  legislative  history,  in  the 
belief  that  the  members  would  not  object  to  having  their 
memories  refreshed  thereby,  I  will  now  venture  to  go  over 
the  historical  ground  again — this  time  briefly,  as  to  our  real 
estate.  The  first  meetings  of  our  Society  that  we  have  any 
record  of,  were  held  at  the  public  house  of  Walter  Hyer,  in 
November,  1785,  in  what  was  then  called  King-street,  now 
Pine-street.  It  afterwards  met  in  various  places  under  rent, 
probably,  for  seventeen  years,  until,  in  1 802,  it  purchased  the 
ground  which  it  now  owns,  at  the  corner  of  Robinson-street 
(now  Park  Place)  and  Broadway,  of  Richard  Yarick  and 
others,  for  the  sum  of  $6,325.  This  lot  is  27.6  by  98.3 
feet.  We  have  been  offered  this  year,  by  a  responsible  party, 
a  rental  for  it  of  $20,000  per  annum,  free  of  taxes,  which 
would  establish  its  value  to-day  at  about  $300,000.  In  the 
next  year  after  the  purchase  of  this  property,  a  new  hall, 
called  Mechanics'  Hall,  was  erected  on  it  by  the  Society,  at  a 
cost  of  about  $23,000,  making  the  whole  cost  of  ground  and 
building  at  that  time  about  $29,000.  We  have  now  owned 
this  property  sixty-seven  years.  It  has  always  paid  good 
interest  on  its  increasing  valuations,  and  it  is  probable  that 
it  would  sell  for  the  large  sum  that  1  have  previously  named, 
although  it  is  estimated  in  our  financial  statements  at  only 
$200,000.*  I  believe  the  Society  occupied  a  portion  of  it  for 
their  own  purposes  until  1821.  In  that  year  we  leased  from 
the  corporation  of  the  city  the  ground  we  now  hold  in 
Chambers-street,  near  Chatham,  the  lease  of  which  is  for 
sixty  years,  at  a  ground  rent  of  $125  a  year ;  it  expires  in 


*  This  property  is  now  leased  to  the  New- York  Central  Rail-Road  Com- 
pany until  May  1st,  1870 ;  the  tenants  paying  all  taxes  and  Croton  rents, 
and  keeping  side-walks  in  repair.  This  property  was  assessed,  in  1868,  at 
$150,000. 


5 


1  SSI ,  twelve  years  hence.  These  premises  have  92  feet  front, 
ami  average  33  feet  in  depth — there  are  no  covenants  for 
renewal.  At  the  time  it  was  leased  it  was  improved  by  the 
Society  at  a  cost  of  $7,000.  It  was  occupied  by  the  Society 
with  its  school  and  library  eleven  years,  and  it  now  rents  for 
$2,000  a  year.  It  is  leased  at  that  rate  to  Mr.  John  J>. 
Snook,  until  May  1,  1S70.  Mr.  Snook  pays  all  taxes  and 
Croton  rents.  About  a  year  previous  to  the  leasing  of  this 
property,  the  school  and  library  went  into  existence. 

In  1S32  the  property  on  Crosby-street,  where  our  present 
library  and  school  are  situated,  was  bought,  (together  with 
some  school  apparatus  valued  at  §1,000  00,)  for  the  sum  of 
(20,000  00,  with  the  high-school  building  on  it,  the  same 
building,  with  some  additions,  that  we  now  occupy.  It  con- 
sists of  four  full  lots  of  ground,  each  25x100  feet.  This  pro- 
perty, thus  bought  37  years  ago,  with  our  property  on  Broad- 
way, since  added,  is  worth  not  less,  perhaps,  to-day,  than 
$200,000,  although  in  our  financial  reports  it  is  estimated  at 
only  $100,000.  In  lSiS  we  bought  for  $9,000  00  the  lot  on 
Broadway,  which  is  the  key  to  the  value  of  our  Crosby- 
street  property ;  it  is  16  ft.  S  in.  wide  by  100  ft.  deep. 

I  h'nd  on  the  records  that  our  Society,  in  1833,  estimated 
itself  as  worth  only  $70,000  over  its  debts.  From  1S33  to 
the  present  time  the  Societ}r  has  not  added  to  its  real  estate. 
It  has,  however,  during  all  this  period,  improved  its  opportu- 
nities to  do  good  with  its  means.  It  is  a  most  remarkable 
example  of  success,  financially  to  itself,  and  beneficially  to 
hundieds  and  hundreds  whom  it  has  fed  with  the  bread  of 
the  body,  and  to  tens  of  thousands  whom  it  has  fed  with  food 
for  the  brain.  During  many  of  these  years,  especially 
during  the  early  and  middle  portions  of  them,  the  Society 
was  often  in  debt,  but  thanks  to  the  able  Finance  Committees 
of  the  past,  and  to  the  liberal  it}'  and  energy  of  the  members, 
from  such  embarrassments  it  alwavs  emerged  without  more 
than  healthy  travail  and  trial.  From  these  facts  let  us  take 
hope  and  courage  for  the  future,  and  believe,  as  those  believed 
who  have  gone  before,  that  we  have  afield  before  Qfl  for  expan- 
sion, corresponding  with  the  records  of  the  past.    If  it  should 


6 

be,  that  our  enterprises  of  the  future  should  outrun  some  time 
our  receipts,  let  us  have  confidence,  and  trust  that  the  men 
who  succeed  those  who  have  done  well,  can  do  as  well  and 
better.  Let  us  not  believe  that  we  are  degenerate.  I  would 
not  be  understood,  however,  as  about  to  advocate  or  sug- 
gest improvements  which  shall  be  deemed  extravagant.  We 
have  found  that  to  be  a  good  proverb,  which  says,  "  It  is 
wise  to  make  haste  slowly." 

Our  Society  has  five  committees,  each  necessary,  and  having 
a  most  important  mission.  If  the  full  possibility  which  is 
open  to  each  committee  were  realized,  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  say  which  would  perform  the  most  important  work.  It  is 
probably  true  that  the  good  works  of  these  committees  do  so 
all  run  together,  as  that  neither  can  do  its'  full  duty  without 
the  hearty  co-operation  of  the  others.  As  in  the  old  fable  of 
the  rebellion  of  the  works  of  the  clock,  it  can  be  easily  proven 
that  each  part  must  do  its  work  faithfully,  to  enable  the  dial 
to  appear  to  the  credit  of  all. 

The  Pension  Committee  show  by  their  report,  that  in  their 
field  of  operations  they  are  faithful  to  the  beneficiaries,  the 
Society,  and  themselves ;  they  are  careful  in  their  reports, 
and  the  Society  always  responds  with  alacrity  to  their  sug- 
gestions. This  committee  has  little  or  no  direct  connection 
with  the  business  of  the  other  committees,  but  it  always 
sympathizes  with  them  and  recognises  their  claims. 

The  School  Committee,  while  it  shows  good  work  done, 
evidently  can  do  much  more.  The  number  of  pupils  re- 
ported is  large — some  460.  The  amount  expended  would 
seem  to  be  inadequate  to  properly  meet  the  needs  of  these. 
I  beg  leave  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  Society  to  the  need 
of  more  means  in  this  field,  and  to  suggest  to  a  future  com- 
mittee the  wisdom  of  having  a  head  preceptor  to  the  school, 
who  should  have  accountability  for  his  department,  as  a  prin- 
cipal in  other  schools  has ;  also,  that  better  entrances,  better 
apparatus,  &c,  be  provided.  I  would  beg  the  School  Commit- 
tees of  former  years  not  to  understand  me  as  criticizing  their 
work  unfavorably,  for  it  has  been  well  done ;  I  only  mean  to 
suggest  a  liberality  from  the  Society,  which  they  have  not 


aspired  to,  but  which  the  wisdom  of  the  Society  may 
possibly  accord.  Would  it  not  be  possible  to  put  this 
school  on  the  basis  of  the  old  school — that  is,  make  it 
so  good  that  pay  scholars  would  seek  it  and  help  it — 
as  perhaps  pay  scholars  by  day,  and  both  pay  and  free 
scholars  by  night.  At  present  the  pupils  of  the  school  are 
not  necessarily  apprentices,  or  even  readers  from  our  library ; 
they  are  not  required  to  present  any  testimonials  of  place 
or  character,  and  are  taken  from  any  who  apply.  The 
effect  of  this  promiscuous  entertainment  gives  us  great  num- 
bers of  scholars,  and  causes  our  school  to  become  a  sort 
of  primary  school  for  the  Cooper  Institute.  The  members 
of  the  School  Committee  have  been  obliged  to  recognise  this 
as  a  fact.  It  certainly  ill  becomes  this  General  Society  of  the 
Mechanics  and  Tradesmen  of  the  great  City  of  Xew-York, 
venerable  in  years,  and  strong  in  purse,  to  occupy  so  inferior 
a  position.  Can  we  not  have  a  school  for  apprentices  of  me- 
chanics, which  it  shall  be  a  credit  to  finish  from,  instead  of 
to  pass  through  ?  Would  it  not  be  better  for  us,  at  whatever 
cost,  to  employ  the  best  talent,  and  teach  such  limited  num- 
bers only  as  we  could  teach  well  ?  Might  we .  not,  by 
employing  teachers  of  superior  talent,  establish  such  a  repu- 
tation in  the  special  branches  which  we  seek  to  teach,  as 
would  induce  a  class  of  pupils  to  seek  our  school,  who  would 
be  willing  and  able  to  pay  for  such  advantages  amounts 
which  would  go  so  far  towards  defraying  the  expenses  as  to 
obviate  the  necessity  of  much  larger  appropriations  than  at 
present.  I  would  recommend,  at  all  events,  that  only  ap- 
prentices of  mechanics  be  admitted  to  our  school  free,  in  order 
that  it  may  be  distinguished  as  a  school  for  mechanics'  ap- 
prentices. I  shall  revert  again  to  this  subject  of  the  school 
before  I  have  done. 

The  Literary  and  Scientific  Committee  has,  during  this 
present  season,  given  the  Society  a  course  of  Lectures,  which 
have  been  highly  appreciated,  and  I  am  sure  that  their  labors 
have  been  cheerfully  performed.  It  has  often  been  suggest- 
ed that  some  lectures  eachyearto  mechanics  and  their  appren- 
tices, as  was  the  original  intent  of  the  Lecture  Fund,  would 


s 


be  acceptable  to  the  parties  referred  to,  and  to  the  Society  as 
well.  It  now,  since  the  establishing  of  a  school  for  appren- 
tices, instead  of  the  old  school,  appears  to  be  a  necessity 
that  the  Literary  and  Scientific  Committee  should  assist  the 
School  Committee,  by  furnishing,  especially  to  the  pupils 
of  this  school,  Lectures  on  Natural  Philosophy,  Chemistry, 
Drawing,  Arts,  Ancient  and  Modern,  Physiology,  &c. ;  lec- 
tures, not  stilted  and  beyond  comprehension,  but  familiar  and 
popular,  calculated  to  arrest  attention  and  excite  inquiry. 
To  such  lectures,  would  it  not  be  well  that  every  reader  in 
the  library,  male  and  female,  of  proper  habits,  should  re- 
ceive tickets  of  admission  ?  A  lecture  most  desirable  to  be 
given  to  young  people  would  be,  in  my  judgment,  on  read- 
ing; how  to  read,  and  what  to  read. 

For  several  years  past  the  subject  of  the  removal  of  our 
library  up  town  has  been  agitated.  Opinions  have  differed 
as  to  locations,  and  the  prudence  of  our  venturing  upon  this 
step.  The  recent  action  of  the  Society  in  leasing  the  premi- 
ses on  the  ground  floor  of  this  building  for  five  years,  has 
placed  us  in  almost  a  necessity  for  remaining  here  during  the 
pendency  of  this  lease,  for  we  probably  cannot  sell  this  pro- 
perty during  that  time,  and  should  we  desire  to  do  so,  would 
find  it  almost  impossible  to  rent  the  premises  we  have  retained 
for  our  school  and  library  at  a  satisfactory  price.  These 
considerations  lead  to  the  inquiry  as  to  whether  there  will 
ever  be  more  need  of  our  library  and  school  anywhere  in 
this  great  city,  than  just  here,  where  it  now  is.  Examinations 
of  our  books  will  show  that  nine-tenths  of  our  readers  and 
scholars  live  below  14th-street,  and  that  three-fourths  live  be- 
low Houston-street.  Is  it  probable  this  population  in  these 
localities  will  ever  be  less  ?  Is  it  not  probable  it  will  be  greater  ? 
If  this  is  true,  and  if  it  is  true  that  we  are  likely  to  use  these 
premises  for  years  to  come,  shall  we  not  consider  if  we  are  em- 
ploying them  now  to  the  best  advantage  ?  The  library  floor  is 
well  utilized.  I  think  the  floor  above  is  not,  and  that  it 
can  be  turned  to  much  better  account.  The  school-room  over 
the  library  is  higher  in  the  ceiling  than  the  library.  It  has 
two  wings,  the  same  as  the  library.  '  The  room  is  50  feet  by 


9 


100.  It  is  susceptible  of  being  made  to  have  a  Broadway 
entrance,  by  means  of  a  stairway,  which  may  lead  from  the 
long  passage  or  hall  leading  to  the  library.  I  mean  the  pas- 
sage where  our  pictures  hang.  I  am  persuaded  that  such  an 
entrance  can  be  made  to  this  floor  as  will  be  good  enough  for 
anybody.  The  only  entrance  to  this  fine  floor  is  now  by 
Crosby-street,  a  bad  street  at  night  for  respectable  boys  to 
have  to  pass  through,  and  impracticable  for  any  other  audi- 
ence. I  would  recommend  this  subject  to  the  consideration 
of  the  Society,  and  trust  they  may  take  action  on  it  at  an 
early  day. 

Let  me  call  attention  to  the  fact  of  the  sparseness  of  our 
embellishments,  both  in  the  school  and  library,  and  the 
profitable  nature  of  such  things.   Of  busts,  we  have  scarcely 
any,  and  the  pictures  on  our  walls  are  very  few  and  not  very 
fine.    We  have  all  seen  the  eager  attention  with  which,  poor 
and  few  as  they  are,  they  are  regarded  by  the  boys  and  girls 
who  frequent  the  library.    Last  summer  I  visited  in  Toronto 
a  Lyceum,  where  every  vacant  space  in  halls  and  lecture- 
room  was  filled  with  a  bust.    I  had  no  idea  there  were  so 
many  in  the  world,  and  learned  then  that  there  was  a  large 
field  from  which  to  select  busts.    Is  it  not  the  duty  of  this 
society  of  mechanics,  if  they  are  able,  to  honor  the  great  men 
of  their  profession  by  owning  and  exhibiting  the  busts  of  as 
many  of  them  as  they  can  find  appropriate  room  for£    I  mean 
the  busts  of  such  men  as  Galileo,  Sir  Isaac  Kewton,  Sir  Chris- 
topher Wren,  James  Watt,  John  Fitch,  Robert  Fulton, 
Richard  M.  Hoe,  John  Ericsson  and  their  compeers.    To  look 
at  these  images  of  great  men  inspires  the  young  and  interests 
the  old.    On  our  library  floor  we  have  room  for  many  busts 
and  more  pictures,  and  if  we  should  make  a  Broadway  entrance 
to  the  present  school-room,  that  room  could  be  garnished  with 
them  in  such  a  manner  that  a  dull  lecture  could  be  endured 
there  by  the  interest  for  the  eye  which  the  walls  would  afford. 
If  the  Society  should  see  fit  to  undertake  these  embellishments 
and  alterations,  I  venture  to  say,  our  members  would  visit  its 
rooms  more  frequently,  bringing  their  friends  with  them,  and 
taking  more  pride  and  interest  in  our  institution  than  ever. 


10 


While  it  cannot  be  said  that  our  Society  of  late  years  has 
shown  much  enterprise,  it  has  shown  an  enterprising  spirit  in 
itsdesires  to  undertake  an  up-town  location,  which,  of  course, 
would  involve  debt,  risk  and  labor.  When  the  Society  shall 
decide  upon  this  movement,  it  will  doubtless  be  a  successful 
one ;  but  I  have  thought  that  while  an  up  town  location  might 
be  a  successful  speculation,  and  an  improvement  upon  it  be 
something  grand  and  beautiful  to  look  upon,  and  be  conve- 
nient for  the  members  to  visit,  that  it  might  be  inconvenient 
to  the  most  of  the  7,000  readers  we  have  had  on  our  books 
in  this  building  ;  and  I  have  thought  that  as  to  improve  our 
present  home  to  its  fullest  extent,  is  not  to  fix  the  Society 
here  forever,  since  it  only  proposes  that  we  should  do  our 
work  well  in  the  Held  before  us,  and  not  speculatively  in  a  fu- 
ture, which  will  always  be  open  before  us  as  broadly  as  now. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  report  of  the  Finance  Committee, 
that  they  have  estimated  the  receipts  of  next  year  to  fall  short 
of  the  expenditures  about  $600.  In  their  estimates  of  receipts, 
however,  they  have  omitted  the  premium  on  gold,  which  last 
year  was  $1,018  47,  aud  is  probably  as  certain  to  be  received 
this  year ;  estimated  initiation  fees  to  be  $250  less,  and 
omitted  usual  receipts  in  library,  $1,284  02,  which  makes  a 
total  of  $2,552  49  reasonably  to  be  counted  on,  and  would 
leave  a  surplus  of  nearly  $2,000,  instead  of  a  deficiency  as 
stated  in  the  report. 

Again  permit  me  to  review  the  property  of  the  Society  as 
to  its  values  and  conditions. 

The  Park  Place  property  is  leased  to  the  New-York  Central 
Kail-Koad  Company  at  $12,500  per  year ;  the  lease  expires 
May  1st,  1870. 

The  Chambers  street  property  is  leased  to  J.  B.  Snook,  at 
$2,000  per  year ;  the  lease  expires  May  1,  1870.  Our  ground 
lease  expires  1881,  twelve  years  hence. 

The  ground  floor  of  our  Crosby-street  and  Broadway 
property  is  leased  to  Messrs.  Hackes  &  Forchheimer,  at  $8,000 
a  year,  for  five  years  from  next  May ;  the  lease  expires  May 
1st,  1874.    We  paying  all  taxes  and  assessments. 

We  have  insurances  as  follows : 


11 


On  Park  Place  property   $20,000 

On  Crosby-street  and  Broadway,     .       .       .  20,000 

On  Chambers-street,   5,000 

On  Books,  &c,  in  Library,      ....  20,000 

On  School  property,    ......  1,500 

The  report  of  our  Finance  Committee  for  the  year  presents 
a  valuation  of  our  assets,  which  was  made  out  some  years 
ago,  and  has  not  been  of  late  revised  or  "reconstructed."  It 
thus,  perhaps,  presents  to  us  a  too  modest  view  of  our  own 
worth.  I  venture,  therefore,  to  submit  my  own  estimates, 
which  will  be  approved  or  disapproved  by  the  judgments  of 
those  who  hear  me,  as  to  them  may  seem  good,  they  being 
only  the  opinion  of  an  individual,  viz. : 

Assets. 

Finance  Committee.  Individual. 

Real  Estate,  Park  Place,     .       .    $200,000  $300,000  00 

"      "  Crosby-st.  and  Broadway,  100,000  150,000  00 

811  Shares,  Mechanics'  Bank  Stock,  20,275  2G,357  50 

U.  S.  Bunds,  .       .       .       .       .  43,000  47,300  00 

Furniture,   1,000  1,000  00 

Books  in  Libraries,        .       .       .  35,000  50,000  00 

Leasehold,  12  Chambers-street,  4,000  12,000  00 


$403,275     $5S6,657  50 

My  object  in  presenting  these  comparisons  of  value  is  not 
to  impugn  the  sate  valuations  previously  made,  but  to  induce 
the  members  of  the  Society  to  think  of  our  means  in  what  is 
probably  their  truer  light. 

Our  Society  has  a  noble  old  age.  Let  it  not  be  said  that 
it  lives  in  the  past  or  the  present  only,  but  that  it  has  a  vision 
of  the  future  ;  that  it  has  a  living,\aspiring  soul,  not  one  only 
half  alive  or  apathetic.  The  golden  age  is  before,  not  behind 
us  ;  our  past  in  experience  and  means  and  fame  is  with  us 
still.  We  have  it  all  to  use  for  the  days  which  are  before 
us.  We  cannot  doubt  that  the  fields  are  fuller  of  harvest 
and  promise  for  this  Society  than  when  it  was  young  and 
weak,  and  that  we  shall  not  mortgage  our  strength  to  in- 
dolence. 


Digitized  by 

the  Internet , 

Archive 

in  2014 

http://archive.org/details/remarksdeliveredOOdela 


■ 


i£x  IGtbrts 


SEYMOUR  DURST 


/rT   NEW  AMSTERDAM  jfltiitiA.       (KEW  YORK  )  ,  1651. 


T^foen  you  leave,  please  leave  this  book 

Because  it  has  been  said 
"Ever  thing  comes  t'  him  who  waits 
Except  a  loaned  book." 


Avery  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


